Apparatus for depositing under water a flowable hardenable or not hardenable mass

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for providing under water a flowable, hardenable or not hardenable mass, such as (concrete) mortar, asphaltic bitumen and the like, is provided with a pouring tube depending from a carrier structure and having a filling device, wherein the pouring tube is surrounded at its outflow end by at least one short sleeve defining therewith an intermediate space.

United States Patent Hillen Jan. 21, 1975 APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING UNDER [56] References Cited WATER A FLOWABLE HARDENABLE 0R UNITED STATES PATENTS NOT HARDENABLE MASS 1,256,074 2/1918 Tart 61/63 [75] Inventor; Henri Fredericus Josephus Marie 2,979,913 4/1961 Bduvier et a1. 61/63 Him, The Hague, Netherlands 3,625,014 12/1971 M111en 61/63 3,712,066 1/1973 Hartzeli 61/63 [73] Assignee: Foundation Patent & Investment Cmpany, Gonda, Primary ExaminerPau1 R. Gilliam Nfitheflands Assistant Examiner-Alex Grosz 22 i Mar, 1 1973 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-McG1ew and Tuttle [21] Appl. No.: 336,994 ABSTRACT Apparatus for providing under water a flowable, hard- [301 Forelgn Apphcamm Pnomy Data enable or not hardenable mass, such as (concrete) M31. 1, Netherlands mortar asphaltic bitumen and the like is provided with a pouring tube depending from a carrier structure U.S. and having a device wherein the pouring tube is urrounded at utflow end at least one hort Fleld of Search 46, 50, leeve defining therewith an intermediate space 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEH JAN 2 1 i975 SHEET 2 OF 3 FIG.2

PATENTED JAN 21 I975 SHEET 3 OF 3 APPARATUS FOR DEPOSITING UNDER WATER A FLOWABLE HARDENABLE OR NOT HARDENABLE MASS FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to apparatus for providing under water a flowable hardenable or not hardenable mass, such as (concrete) mortar, asphaltic bitumen and the like, provided with a pouring tube suspended from a carrier structure and having a filling device.

Such apparatus, which is e.g. used for pouring concrete under water when making hydraulic structures or for coating the bottoms of waterways with asphalt (concrete), are already known in different embodiments. For pouring concrete under water, it is known to operate according to the so-called contractor principle whereby the pouring tube has to remain permanently filled with concrete, in order to prevent the ingress of water, and whereby the pouring tube has to be permanently kept with its pouring mouth below the concrete mass that has already been poured, in order to prevent demixing during the flowing out of the concrete.

It is important therewith that the mass that flows out and which, under the influence of the pressure of the column of material in the pouring tube, is propelled upwardly along the outer wall of the pouring tube through a certain distance, is permitted to spread over a relatively large area. This means that, when operating according to this principle, relatively easily flowing masses (e.g. concrete masses having a relatively large setting measure) may be processed and that thereby only layers or bottoms having a relative large thickness may be obtained. For coating the bottoms of waterways with a relatively thin coating layer, or for making thin floors, this type of apparatus therefore is not suitable.

An apparatus is known, from US. Pat. No. 3,625,014, which is suitable for handling concrete masses having smaller setting measures. Therein the pouring tube has flexible walls so that it tends to be flattened under the influence of the surrounding water pressure, or to close around the mass being lowered through the tube, respectively. By means of apparatus constructed in this manner and moving uniformly over the submerged surface on which the mass has to be poured, relatively thin coating layers may be applied to the bottoms of waterways, which coating layers, moreover, have a uniform thickness as a result of the circumstance that the outflow end of the flexible pouring tube may adapt itself to the inequalities in the bottom to be coated. For pouring layers or floors the surface of which does not follow the inequalities of the underground, but has to have a flatter nature, the flexible pouring tube may, at its lower end, be surrounded by a tubular end piece or shield having a rigid shape. The advantage of the application of such a composite pouring tube over the pouring tube operating according to the contractor principle is that practically every desired layer thickness may be realized and particularly thicknesses which are far below the minimum thickness possible with the contractor method.

A disadvantage of the contractor pouring tube as well as of the composite pouring tube is that, as a consequence of variations in the height of the material column in the pouring tube, variations may occur in the distance along which the mass, that flows out, is propelled upwardly along the outer side of the pouring tube, or the end piece or shield, respectively. whereby inequalities may occur in the surface of the poured layer or floor.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The invention aims at eliminating the above mentioned objections and this purpose is attained in that the pouring tube is surrounded at its outflow end by at least one short sleeve defining therewith an intermediate space.

When applying the apparatus according to the invention, the material that, under influence of the pressure within the pouring tube is propelled upwardly along the lower portion of the pouring tube, is initially received in the annular space between the pouring tube and the sleeve. From this annular space the zone around the sleeve is fed, whereby the material is again propelled upwardly and, in this case, along the outer side of the.

sleeve. Therebya level is established at the outer side of the sleeve which is lower than the level within the sleeve. Starting from a predetermined position ofv the outflow end of the pouring tube, e.g. at a shortdistance above the surface onto which the pouring has to be carried out, when applying the above mentioned contractor principle, the sleeve provided, according to the invention, around the outflow end of the pouring tube will thus lead to a decrease of the thickness of the coating layer or floor, respectively, with the difference in level between the inner and outer sides of the sleeve. This difference in level of course strongly depends on the viscosity of the used mass. Since with the contractor method, as remarked above, usually larger setting measures and therefore more easily flowing masses are used, it may be therefore preferable to provide, with this method, around the first sleeve one or more additional sleeves. The sleeves then produce a kind of labyrinth effect thanks to which the pouring process may be governed at will and particularly also may be adjusted for smaller layer thicknesses. The variation in the final pouring level, namely the level around the outer sleeve, with a varying height of the material column within the pouring tube proper, further will be smaller when more sleeves are applied.

If the material column within the pouring tube has a relatively small height, e.g. as a consequence of the application of a pouring tube having flexible walls, a single sleeve around the end piece or shield of such a pouring tube may be sufficient already. With the smaller setting measures used generally in such cases the material will usually hardly tend to move upwardly along the outer side of the sleeve. This means that the lower edge of the pouring tube or of the sleeve, respectively, in that case determines the final surface of the poured layer or floor. Variations in the material level in the intermediate space between the end piece of the pouring tube and the sleeve as a consequence of variations in height in the material column within the pouring tube then will have no consequences for the pouring level outside the sleeve. It is then possible simply to lower the pouring tube with the lower edge of the surrounding sleeve at the desired level of the floor or coating layer to be poured and thereafter to move the pouring tube in a horizontal direction over the area to be covered while supplying the mass to be used. The material excess' present in the space between the pouring tube proper (or its end piece) and the surrounding sleeve thereby is taken along by the moving pouring tube and appears to constitute little or no resistance since the material is still in full flow movement.

The apparatus according to the invention has the further advantage that therewith also those portions of the surface to be covered, which e.g. have in a building trench confined by dam sheets, an undercut position with reference to girders or similar obstacles provided at the upper end of that trench, may be very well poured upon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a schematic vertical cross-section through a pouring tube having two sleeves provided around its lower end corresponding to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-section through a building trench with the apparatus according to the invention positioned therein; a

FIG. 3 is a cross-section according to the line III-III in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the mounting of a sleeve on the lower end of the pouring tube.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1 the lower portion of a pouring tube is indicated at 1, by means of which a coating layer or floor 3 e.g. of concrete is to be applied to a surface 2 submerged under water. During the pouring of the layer or floor 3, the pouring tube 1 is kept filled with concrete. The height of the material column in the pouring tube is indicated at H. The concrete mass flowing out from the lower end of the pouring tube 1 is propelled upwardly along the outer side of the pouring tube according to the arrows P namely up to the level H In accordance with the invention the pouring tube 1 is surrounded at the outflow end by a sleeve 4 whereby the concrete mass propelled upwardly according to the arrows P, from the pouring tube 1 is received in the annular space 5 between the pouring tube 1 and the sleeve 4. Normally, that is without the sleeve 4 being present, such as is the case with the normal contractor tube, all the surroundings of the pouring tube 1 would be poured upon up to the height H This last mentioned height would then at the same time represent the minimum thickness of the relative coating layer or floor, which in the normal way could be realized starting from a material column with a height H and a minimum spacing a between the lower edge of the pouring tube 1 and the submerged surface 2 onto which the concrete is to be poured.

From the annular space surrounded by the sleeve 4 upward propelling of the mass takes place around the lower end of the sleeve, namely according to the arrows P up to a height H which is substantially smaller than the height H The height H would determine at the same time the level of the poured layer or floor if no further sleeves were applied. However, in the example of FIG. 1, at a radial distance around the sleeve 4, a second sleeve 4' has been applied, whereby the (minimum) floor thickness is further reduced, namely to a value corresponding to the pouring height H In the embodiment according to FIG. 2 and 3 the apparatus according to the invention is provided with a pouring tube of a special type, comprising a tube la having flexible walls and surrounded at its lower end by a tubular end piece lb having a rigid shape. The flexible pouring tube la is secured at its upper end, by means of a clamp 6, around the outflow end of the filling hopper 7 and extends with its lower end loosely into the end piece lb. The end piece lb is suspended to the filling hopper 7 by means of connecting rods 8. Instead of connecting rods also flexible connecting means such as chains may be used. In the considered embodiment. the filling hopper 7 with the pouring tube Ia. lb suspended therefrom is supported by a carrier frame movable on running wheels 9, the frame comprising the longitudinal beams 11 serving as guide rails for the running wheels 9, and the transverse beams 12.

The carrier frame 10 is, in its turn, movable along a pair of rails 14 in the transverse direction by. means of four running wheels 13 journalled in the transverse beams 12. The rails 14 are constituted, in the embodiment shown, by tubes which have been secured e.g. by welding onto the upper edge of the dam sheets 15 confining a building trench onto the bottom 2 of which, situated under water, a layer 3 of e.g. concrete has to be poured, which layer may serve as a floor, as an arresting layer between the dam sheets 15, or as a working floor or supporting floor for e.g. a pillar.

FIG. 2 shows the apparatus according to the invention with the pouring tube la, lb depending into the building trench in a position in which the filling hopper 7 with the pouring tube 1a, lb suspended therefrom is moved during the pouring in the direction of the arrow along the carrier frame 10.

Corresponding to what has been said above with reference to FIG. 1, the concrete mass flowing out at the lower end of the sleeve lb will be propelled upwardly under the influence of the pressure of the column 11 of material along the outer side of the sleeve lb. However, due to the fact that the column height h, as a result of the application of a pouring tube la with flexible walls (which walls constantly tend to contract under the influence of the pressure of the surrounding water), has only to be relatively small, the distance h along which the material is propelled upwardly along the outer side of the sleeve lb will be relatively small. Distance h nevertheless may vary, when the material column within the end piece lb has a varying height h, in such a manner that an irregular surface of the layer 3 would be obtained. In order to prevent this, a sleeve 4a has been provided around the end piece lb and the operation of sleeve 40 is comparable with that of the sleeve 4 around the pouring tube 1 in FIG. 1. In connection with the relatively small column height h, the height of the sleeve 4a may be chosen much smaller than that of the sleeve 4 in FIG. I. The (varying) height h of the material in the annular space 5a between the end piece lb and the sleeve 4a is even so small that there exists little or no tendency for the material to be propelled upwardly along the outer side of the sleeve 4a. This means that. in the embodiment according to FIGS. 2 and 3, the application of a single sleeve 40 is sufficient to obtain a layer or floor 3 having a flat surface. This surface is then determined by the plane through the lower edge of the sleeve 4a.

As best shown in FIG. 4, the sleeve 4a is mounted on the sleeve 4a be adjustable relative to end piece lb, the

gussets 4c can bear against the end piece lb. In such case, suitable means 4d may be provided for adjusting the sleeve 4a vertically of end piece lb. The means 4d may comprise cables or the like connected to suitable winches on the carrier frame 10, or may comprise rods connected to suitable adjusting means on the carrier frame 10. Thereby, sleeve 4a may be adjusted vertically as indicated by the double headed arrow 4e. Any additional sleeves may be mounted on the pouring tube or on the end piece 1b in a manner similar to the mounting of the sleeve 4a.

When the composite pouring tube la, lb in FIG. 2 has completed its operative movement from left to right, the carrier frame is moved in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the drawing, whereafter the pouring tube la, lb may start a next operative movement from right to left.

For moving the pouring tube 1a, lb or the carrier frame 10, respectively, conventional means such as winches may be used, which need not be further explained and have not been shown in detail in the drawmg.

The respective sleeves 4, 4 or 4a are connected to the pouringtube 1 or the end piece lb, respectively, by spokes or similar connecting means not shown in detail in the drawing. The lower edges of the sleeve or sleeves need not lie in the same plane containing the lower edge of the end piece lb or the pouring tube 1, respectively, but may also lie at a certain distance thereabove or therebelow.

Particularly if the invention is applied to a pouring tube operating according to the contractor principle whereby the pouring tube is lowered to a position relatively close to the surface on which the mass is to be poured, it is advantageous to mount the sleeve or sleeves, respectively, longitudinally adjustable around the lower part of the pouring tube. Then one has the possibility to adjust the single sleeve, or the outer sleeve, respectively, at such a height that upward propelling of material along the outer side of the single sleeve, or of the outer sleeve, respectively, no longer occurs and the outer the lower edge of that sleeve therefore determines the final pouring level. With reference to FIG. 1, this would mean that one moves the outer sleeve 4 through such a distance, with reference to the pouring tube 1, that the lower edge of sleeve 4' arrives at the level indicated at H For that purpose the relative sleeve may be guided in the vertical direction along the pouring tube 1 proper and may be more or less paid out by means of chains or the like.

The expression flowable mass not only comprises thickly flowable masses. The apparatus according to the invention may, for example, also be applied for pouring under water of other kinds of flowable material such as sand or gravel when it is intended to construct a flat base for placing e.g. caissons or tunnel sections.

1 claim:

1. Apparatus for depositing a layer of a flowable mass of hardenable or not hardenable material, such as a concrete mixture, asphaltic bitumen and the like, onto a surface submerged beneath water, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a carrier structure which is movable substantially horizontally; a relatively elongated pouring tube suspended from said carrier structure for horizontal movement therewith with its lower end spaced a relatively short distance above said submerged surface; a filling device on said carrier structure for supplying the flowable mass into the upper end of said flowing tube for flow downwardly through said pouring tube and laterally beneath the lower end thereof onto said submerged surface; and at least one relatively short sleeve arranged centrically on the lower end of said pouring tube with its lower end substantially coplanar with the lower end of said pouring tube; means mounting said sleeve on said pouring tube for horizontal movement therewith; said sleeve being spaced laterally from said pouring tube to define an annular space receiving the flowable mass flowing laterally outwardly beneath the lower end of said pouring tube to limit the height to which said flowable mass rises under the pressure head of the flowable mass still in said pouring tube; whereby, as said carrier structure is moved horizontally, a level layer of the flowable mass is deposited on said submerged surface to a height determined by the lower edge of said sleeve.

2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including at least one additional relatively short sleeve mounted centrically on the lower end of said pouring tube for horizontal movement therewith; each such additional sleeve being spaced laterally from the next adjacent inner sleeve to define a respective annular space receiving the flowable mass flowing laterally outwardly beneath the lower end of the next inner sleeve; whereby, as said carrier structure is moved, a level layer of the flowable mass is deposited on said submerged surface to a height determined by the lower edge of the outermost of said sleeves.

3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, in which said pouring tube has a flexible wall; and a rigid tubular endpiece secured to the bottom of said pouring tube to form a lower discharge end thereof; the lower end of said endpiece being spaced said relatively short distance above said submerged surface.

4. Apparatus for depositing a layer of a flowable mass of hardenable or not hardenable material, such as a concrete mixture, asphaltic bitumen and the like, onto a surface submerged beneath water, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a carrier structure which is movable substantially horizontally; a relatively elongated pouring tube suspended from said carrier structure with its lower end spaced a relatively short distance above said submerged surface; a filling device on said carrier structure for supplying the flowable mass into the upper end of said flowing tube for flow downwardly through said pouring tube and laterally beneath the lower end thereof onto said submerged surface; and at least one relatively short sleeve mounted centrically on the lower end of said pouring tube with its lower end substantially coplanar with the lower end of said pouring tube; said sleeve being spaced laterally from said pouring tube to definean annular space receiving the flowable mass flowing laterally outwardly beneath the lower end of said pouring tube to limit the height to which said flowable mass rises under the pressure head of the flowable mass still in saidpouring tube; whereby,

as said carrier structure is moved, a level layer of the flowable mass is deposited on said submergedsurface to a height determined by the lower edge of said sleeve; said relatively short sleeve being adjustable longitudinally of said pouring tube. 

1. Apparatus for depositing a layer of a flowable mass of hardenable or not hardenable material, such as a concrete mixture, asphaltic bitumen and the like, onto a surface submerged beneath water, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a carrier structure which is movable substantially horizontally; a relatively elongated pouring tube suspended from said carrier structure for horizontal movement therewith with its lower end spaced a relatively short distance above said submerged surface; a filling device on said carrier structure for supplying the flowable mass into the upper end of said flowing tube for flow downwardly through said pouring tube and laterally beneath the lower end thereof onto said submerged surface; and at least one relatively short sleeve arranged centrically on the lower end of said pouring tube with its lower end substantially coplanar with the lower end of said pouring tube; means mounting said sleeve on said pouring tube for horizontal movement therewith; said sleeve being spaced laterally from said pouring tube to define an annular space receiving the flowable mass flowing laterally outwardly beneath the lower end of said pouring tube to limit the height to which said flowable mass rises under the pressure head of the flowable mass still in said pouring tube; whereby, as said carrier structure is moved horizontally, a level layer of the flowable mass is deposited on said submerged surface to a height determined by the lower edge of said sleeve.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, including at least one additional relatively short sleeve mounted centrically on the lower end of said pouring tube for horizontal movement therewith; each such additional sleeve being spaced laterally from the next adjacent inner sleeve to define a respective annular space receiving the flowable mass flowing laterally outwardly beneath the lower end of the next inner sleeve; whereby, as said carrier structure is moved, a level layer of the flowable mass is deposited on said submerged surface to a height determined by the lower edge of the outermost of said sleeves.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in cLaim 1, in which said pouring tube has a flexible wall; and a rigid tubular endpiece secured to the bottom of said pouring tube to form a lower discharge end thereof; the lower end of said endpiece being spaced said relatively short distance above said submerged surface.
 4. Apparatus for depositing a layer of a flowable mass of hardenable or not hardenable material, such as a concrete mixture, asphaltic bitumen and the like, onto a surface submerged beneath water, said apparatus comprising, in combination, a carrier structure which is movable substantially horizontally; a relatively elongated pouring tube suspended from said carrier structure with its lower end spaced a relatively short distance above said submerged surface; a filling device on said carrier structure for supplying the flowable mass into the upper end of said flowing tube for flow downwardly through said pouring tube and laterally beneath the lower end thereof onto said submerged surface; and at least one relatively short sleeve mounted centrically on the lower end of said pouring tube with its lower end substantially coplanar with the lower end of said pouring tube; said sleeve being spaced laterally from said pouring tube to define an annular space receiving the flowable mass flowing laterally outwardly beneath the lower end of said pouring tube to limit the height to which said flowable mass rises under the pressure head of the flowable mass still in said pouring tube; whereby, as said carrier structure is moved, a level layer of the flowable mass is deposited on said submerged surface to a height determined by the lower edge of said sleeve; said relatively short sleeve being adjustable longitudinally of said pouring tube. 